Association of plant-based diets with the risk of upper gastrointestinal tract cancers:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Diets rich in red or processed meat have been linked to an increased risk of cancers within the digestive system.It has been suggested that a plant-based diet may have protective effects against digestive system cancers.This study aimed to determine the association between plant-based diets and upper gastrointestinal tract cancers(UGTC).Methods:We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.We searched the PubMed,Medline,Embase,and Web of Science databases for articles published up to September 30,2023.We pooled the risk ratios(RR)with the corresponding 95%confi-dence intervals(CI)using fixed or random-effects models.Results:Our meta-analysis included 16 studies(30 results).The data revealed a strong inverse association between a high intake of plant-based diets and UGTC(RR=0.60,95%CI=0.49-0.72),specifically gastric cancer(GC,RR=0.53,95%CI=0.42-0.67)and esophageal can-cer(EC,RR=0.63,95%CI=0.42-0.96).This relationship was not significant for gastric cardia cancer(GCA)or esophagogastric junctional cancer(EGJC,RR=0.76,95%CI=0.47-1.22).A subgroup analysis showed the association was significant in studies from Asia and Europe,as well as in studies utilizing indices such as a vegetarian diet,Mediterranean diet,the plant-based diet index,and principal component analy-sis(PCA)dietary patterns.There was no indication of publication bias among the analyzed studies.Conclusions:This meta-analysis highlights the potential health benefits of plant-based diets in preventing UGTC,particularly regarding esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)and GC.Nevertheless,additional research is required to validate these results and explore the un-derlying mechanisms.

Association of hypertension and plant-based dietary patterns on cognitive impairment: a nationwide cohort study in China

This study investigated the association of hypertension with cognitive impairment and determined whether better adherence to plant-based diet(PBD)patterns may modify the association.We analyzed 4485 elderly individuals with normal cognition at baseline from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey(2011−2018).Cognitive function was assessed by the Mini-mental State Examination(MMSE),and cognitive impairment was defined as an MMSE score below 18 points.Diet patterns were assessed using the overall plant-based diet index(PDI),healthful plant-based diet index(hPDI),and unhealthful plant-based diet index(uPDI)derived from a simplified food frequency questionnaire(FFQ).Blood pressure was measured through physical examination.Cox proportional hazard regression and restricted cubic spline were performed.Participants with hypertension had an increased risk of cognitive impairment compared with normal group.The associations between hypertension and cognitive impairment were more pronounced among participants with lower PDI than those with higher PDI,among participants with lower hPDI than those with higher hPDI,and among participants with higher uPDI than those with lower uPDI.A healthful PBD pattern may attenuate hypertension-induced cognitive impairment,while an unhealthful PBD pattern may exacerbate hypertensioninduced cognitive impairment in elderly.Adherence to healthful PBD pattern could be used to prevent or mitigate adverse neurological effects in the hypertensive population.

Plant-based dietary patterns and risk of esophageal cancer:A prospective cohort study spanning 17 years

Objective: Plant-based diets have multiple health benefits for cancers;however, little is known about the association between plant-based dietary patterns and esophageal cancer(EC).This study presents an investigation of the prospective associations among three predefined indices of plant-based dietary patterns and the risk of EC.Methods: We performed endoscopic screening for 15,709 participants aged 40-69 years from two high-risk areas of China from January 2005 to December 2009 and followed the cohort until December 31, 2022. The overall plant-based diet index(PDI), healthful plant-based diet index(h PDI), and unhealthful plant-based diet index(u PDI), were calculated using survey responses to assess dietary patterns. We applied Cox proportional hazard regression to estimate the multivariable hazard ratios(HRs) and 95% confidence intervals(95% CIs) of EC across 3plant-based diet indices and further stratified the analysis by subgroups.Results: The final study sample included 15,184 participants in the cohort. During a follow-up of 219,365person-years, 176 patients with EC were identified. When the highest quartile was compared with the lowest quartile, the pooled multivariable-adjusted HR of EC was 0.50(95% CI, 0.32-0.77) for h PDI. In addition, the HR per 10-point increase in the h PDI score was 0.42(95% CI, 0.27-0.66) for ECs. Conversely, u PDI was positively associated with the risk of EC, and the HR was 1.80(95% CI, 1.16-2.82). The HR per 10-point increase in the u PDI score was 1.90(95% CI, 1.26-2.88) for ECs. The associations between these scores and the risk of EC were consistent in most subgroups. These results remained robust in sensitivity analyses.Conclusions: A healthy plant-based dietary pattern was associated with a reduced risk of EC. Emphasizing the healthiness and quality of plant-based diets may be important for preventing the development of EC.

Definition of a plant-based diet and overview of this special issue

A plant-based diet consists of all minimally processedfruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds,herbs, and spices and excludes all animal products, includ-ing red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products.

Angina rapidly improved with a plant-based diet and returned after resuming a Western diet

Atherosclerosis and its related cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. The roots of this disease may lie, in part, in dietary and lifestyle behaviors, indicating that modifica- tion of these behaviors may lead to profound improvements.

A plant-based diet for overweight and obesity prevention and treatment

The goal of this paper is to review the evidence related to the effect of plant-based dietary pattems on obesity and weight loss, includingboth observational and intervention trials. Literature from plant-based diets （PBDs） epidemiological and clinical trial research was used toinform this review. In addition, data on dietary quality, adherence, and acceptability were evaluated and are presented. Both clinical trials andobservational research indicate an advantage to adoption of PBDs for preventing overweight and obesity and promoting weight loss. PBDsmay also confer higher levels of diet quality than are observed with other therapeutic diet approaches, with similar levels of adherence andacceptability. Future studies should utilize health behavior theory to inform intervention development and delivery of PBDs studies and newtechnologies to bring interventions to scale for greater public health impact. Research examining PBDs and weight loss is also needed withmore diverse populations, including older adults. Based on the available evidence, PBDs should be considered a viable option for the treat-ment and prevention of overweight and obesity.

A plant-based diet and hypertension

Hypertension is an insidious, common, and deadly dis-ease, often detected incidentally at a routine doctor＇s visit orworkplace health screening. Worldwide, it is estimated thatone billion people have hypertension and approximately 80million Americans 20 years of age and older are hyperten-sive.

Pro and anti-inflammatory diets as strong epigenetic factors in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is the consequence of a complex interplay between environmental factors,like dietary habits,that alter intestinal microbiota in response to luminal antigens in genetically susceptible individuals.Epigenetics represents an auspicious area for the discovery of how environmental factors influence the pathogenesis of inflammation,prognosis,and response to therapy.Consequently,it relates to gene expression control in response to environmental influences.The increasing number of patients with IBD globally is indicative of the negative effects of a food supply rich in trans and saturated fats,refined su-gars,starches and additives,as well as other environmental factors like seden-tarism and excess bodyweight,influencing the promotion of gene expression and increasing DNA hypomethylation in IBD.As many genetic variants are now associated with Crohn's disease(CD),new therapeutic strategies targeting modi-fiable environmental triggers,such as the implementation of an anti-inflammatory diet that involves the removal of potential food antigens,are of growing interest in the current literature.Diet,as a strong epigenetic factor in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders like IBD,provides novel insights into the pathophysio-logy of intestinal and extraintestinal inflammatory disorders.

The meat of the matter: plant-based meat analogue versus traditional meat product nutritional quality

Plant-based meat analogues(PBMA)are formulated to mimic the sensory characteristics of traditional meat products(TMP)using vegetarian ingredients and are increasingly popular with the trend towards plantbased diets,even among meat-eating consumers.This narrative review compared the nutritional quality of PBMA and TMP to broaden the discussion on the suitability of simulated meat products to substitute TMP,while exploring other attributes for their comparison.The complexity of PBMA and TMP means they are not entirely interchangeable.Importantly,PBMA health effects extend beyond their basic nutrient content and quality.Postprandial metabolism and satiety,for example,can be affected by product formulation,ingredient interactions,and thermomechanical processing involved in producing organoleptically acceptable PBMA.There are specific opportunities for low-sodium PBMA products to contribute to a healthy shift toward plantbased diets.In conclusion,PBMA cannot be assumed to be healthier than TMP.They should be designed with comprehensive consideration of composition and processing to ensure they support consumers who are adopting plant-based diets in realizing the theoretical health benefits.

Ameliorative effects of Lactobacillus fermentum isolated from individuals following vegan, omnivorous and high-meat diets on ulcerative colitis in mice

Lactobacillus spp.can be beneficial for the prevention or treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC).In this study,153 participants who followed vegan,omnivorous,or high-meat diet were recruited.Compositional analysis of the Lactobacillus community in feces revealed that Lactobacillus fermentum strains were significantly affected by diet.Administration of mixed L.fermentum strains from vegans significantly improved inflammation compared to that from omnivores and high-meat consumers,as evidenced by a significant reduction in colonic tissue damage,improvement in inflammatory cytokines,enhanced expression of ZO-1,occludin,and claudin-3,and a significant increase in short chain fatty acids concentration.The effect of a single strain of L.fermentum was similar to that of a mixed strains of L.fermentum group.Genomic analysis suggested that L.fermentum strains from the guts of vegans possessed a higher prevalence of genes involved in carbohydrate catabolism than those from the guts of omnivores and high-meat eaters.In particular,the ME2 gene is involved in the biosynthesis of acetate,a compound considered to possess anti-inflammatory properties.In conclusion,this study indicates strain-specific differences in the ability of L.fermentum strains to alleviate UC in mice,influenced by habitual diets。

Debaryomyces hansenii supplementation in low fish meal diets promotes growth,modulates microbiota and enhances intestinal condition in juvenile marine fish

Background The development of a sustainable business model with social acceptance,makes necessary to develop new strategies to guarantee the growth,health,and well-being of farmed animals.Debaryomyces hansenii is a yeast species that can be used as a probiotic in aquaculture due to its capacity to i)promote cell proliferation and differen-tiation,ii)have immunostimulatory effects,iii)modulate gut microbiota,and/or iv)enhance the digestive function.To provide inside into the effects of D.hansenii on juveniles of gilthead seabream(Sparus aurata)condition,we inte-grated the evaluation of the main key performance indicators coupled with the integrative analysis of the intestine condition,through histological and microbiota state,and its transcriptomic profiling.Results After 70 days of a nutritional trial in which a diet with low levels of fishmeal(7%)was supplemented with 1.1%of D.hansenii(17.2×10^(5) CFU),an increase of ca.12%in somatic growth was observed together with an improve-ment in feed conversion in fish fed a yeast-supplemented diet.In terms of intestinal condition,this probiotic modu-lated gut microbiota without affecting the intestine cell organization,whereas an increase in the staining intensity of mucins rich in carboxylated and weakly sulphated glycoconjugates coupled with changes in the affinity for certain lectins were noted in goblet cells.Changes in microbiota were characterized by the reduction in abundance of several groups of Proteobacteria,especially those characterized as opportunistic groups.The microarrays-based transcrip-tomic analysis found 232 differential expressed genes in the anterior-mid intestine of S.aurata,that were mostly related to metabolic,antioxidant,immune,and symbiotic processes.Conclusions Dietary administration of D.hansenii enhanced somatic growth and improved feed efficiency param-eters,results that were coupled to an improvement of intestinal condition as histochemical and transcriptomic tools indicated.This probiotic yeast stimulated host-microbiota interactions without altering the intestinal cell organization nor generating dysbiosis,which demonstrated its safety as a feed additive.At the transcriptomic level,D.hansenii pro-moted metabolic pathways,mainly protein-related,sphingolipid,and thymidylate pathways,in addition to enhance antioxidant-related intestinal mechanisms,and to regulate sentinel immune processes,potentiating the defensive capacity meanwhile maintaining the homeostatic status of the intestine.

Impact of numerous larval diets on the biology of pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella(Saunders)(Lepidoptera:Gelechiidae)under laboratory conditions

Background Pink bollworm,Pectinophora gossypiella(Saunders)(Lepidoptera:Gelechiidae)has become a poten-tial pest of cotton by causing substantial yield losses around the world including Pakistan.Keeping in view the facts like limited research investigations,unavailability,and high cost of artificial diet’s constituents and their premixes,the present research investigations on the dietary aspect of P.gossypiella were conducted.The larvae of P.gossypiella were reared on different diets that were prepared using indigenous elements.The standard/laboratory diet com-prised of wheat germ meal 34.5 g,casein 30.0 g,agar–agar 20.0 g,sucrose 10.0 g,brewer’s yeast 5.0 g,α-cellulose 1.0 g,potassium-sorbate1.5 g,niplagin 0.5 g,decavitamin 0.01 g,choline-chloride 0.06 g,maize-oil 3.30 g,honey 2.0 g,and water 730.0 mL.Alternatives to cotton bolls and wheat germ meal were okra seed sprouts,okra fruit,cottonseed meal,and okra seed meals,which were included in the study to introduce an efficient and economic mass-rearing system.Results The larval development completed in 19.68d±0.05 d with a weight of 20.18mg±0.20 mg at the fourth instar fed on the cottonseed meal-based diet instead of wheat germ meal based diet.On the same diet,84.00%±4.00%,17.24 mg±0.03 mg,and 7.76d±0.06 d were recorded as pupae formation,pupal weight,and pupal duration,respectively.Adult emergence,76.00%±1.00%was recorded from pupae collected from larvae raised on cottonseed meal-based diet.These male and female moths lived for 40.25d±0.10 d,and 44.34d±0.11 d,respectively.Females deposited 21.28±0.04 eggs per day with the viability of 65.78%±0.14%.The larval mortal-ity at the fourth instar was 37.20%±1.36%and malformed pupation of 12.00%±1.41%was recorded.Replacement of wheat germ meal with that of local meals(cottonseed and okra seed)in the standard laboratory diet has saved 463.80 to 467.10 PKR with 1.62 to 1.63 cost economic returns,respectively.Conclusion This research is of novel nature as it provides a concise and workable system for the economic and suc-cessful rearing of P.gossypiella under laboratory conditions.

Plant-based diet and its effect on coronary artery disease:A narrative review

Coronary artery disease(CAD),a primary component of cardiovascular diseases,is one of the top contributors to mortality rates worldwide.In 2021,dietary risk was estimated to be attributed to 6.58 million cardiovascular deaths.Plant-based diets(PBDs),which encourage higher consumption of plant foods and lower intake of animal-based foods,have been shown to reduce the risk of CAD by up to 29% when compared to non-vegetarian diets in a meta-analysis.This article aims to summarize the array of PBDs and compare them with conventional Western diets that include meat.We review the various proposed mechanisms for how the bioactive nutrients of PBDs aid in preventing atherosclerosis and CAD events,as well as other cardiac diseases.We conducted a detailed search of PubMed using our exclusive search strategy using the keywords plant-based diet,vegan diet,phytosterols,CAD,myocardial ischemia,and atherosclerosis.A total of 162 pertinent articles published within the past decade were identified for qualitative synthesis.To ensure the accuracy and reliability of our review,we included a total of 55 full-text,peer-reviewed articles that demonstrated the effects of plant-based diets on CAD and were written in English.We excluded animal studies,in vitro or molecular studies,and non-original data like editorials,letters,protocols,and conference abstracts.In this article,we emphasize the importance of dietary interventions,such as PBDs,to prevent CAD and their benefits on environmental sustainability.Integrating plant foods and whole grains into one's daily eating habits leads to an increase in the intake of nutrient-rich foods while reducing the consumption of processed food could not only prevent millions of premature deaths but also provide prevention against many chronic gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases.

Plant-based vaccines against viral hepatitis: A panoptic review

The traditional vaccines against hepatitis have been instrumental in reducing the incidence of some types of viral hepatitis;however,the need for cost-effective,easily distributable,and needle-free vaccine alternatives has led to the exploration of plant-based vaccines.Plant-based techniques offer a promising avenue for producing viral hepatitis vaccines due to their low-cost cultivation,scalability,and the potential for oral administration.This review highlights the successful expression of hepatitis B surface antigens in plants and the subsequent formation of virus-like particles,which have shown immunogenicity in preclinical and clinical trials.The challenges such as achieving sufficient antigen expression levels,ensuring consistent dosing,and navigating regulatory frameworks,are addressed.The review considers the potential of plant-based vaccines to meet the demands of rapid vaccine deployment in response to outbreaks and their role in global immunization strategies,particularly in resource-limited settings.This review underscores the significant strides made in plant molecular farming and the potential of plant-based vaccines to complement existing immunization methods against viral hepatitis.

A plant-based diet and heart failure： case report and literature review

Heart failure is associated with high rates of morbidityand mortality, and is a burden to the healthcare system.There is a growing appreciation for the role diet may play inthe development and treatment of heart failure.

A plant-based diet and stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in theUnited States and globally. Each year, approxirnately 795,000Americans experience a stroke.Total annual costs of stroke,both direct and indirect, amount to $33 billion. Ischemicstroke is predicted to cost more than $2.2 trillion between2005 and 2050. In the United States, 87% of all strokesare ischemic, 10% are due to intracerebral hemorrhage, and3% are due to subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Plant-based nutrition for healthcare professionals： implementing diet as aprimary modality in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease

Cardiovascular disease remains the world＇s leading cause of death. Yet, we have known for decades that the vast majority of athero-sclerosis and its subsequent morbidity and mortality are influenced predominantly by diet. This paper will describe a health-promoting wholefood, plant-based diet; delineate macro- and micro-nulxition, emphasizing specific geriatric concerns; and offer guidance to physicians andother healthcare practitioners to support patients in successfully utilizing nutrition to improve their health.

Construction of Plant-based Expression Vector of Polyphosphate Kinase Gene

[Objective] The aim was to construct the fusion expression vector of polyphosphate kinase（PPK） and green fluorescent protein（GFP） genes.[Method] In this study,the primers were designed based on PPK gene sequence（L03719） of E.coli DH5α in Genbank.Genomic DNA of E.coli DH 5α was extracted as template for the amplification of PPK gene by PCR method.By using In-Fusion@ HD Cloning Kit,the PPK gene was directionally cloned into NcoI site of the pCAMBIA1302 vector.[Result] Sequencing results showed that the 2.0 kb long fragment of PPK gene was inserted into the plant-based expression vector pCAMBIA1302 in front of GFP gene.[Conclusion] The fusion expression vector of PPK and GFP genes were successfully constructed.

Effects of different diets on intestinal microbiota and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease development

AIM To study the effects of different diets on intestinal microbiota and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) development at the same caloric intake.METHODS Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into five groups(six rats each). The control diet(CON) group and free high-fat diet(FFAT) group were allowed ad libitum access to a normal chow diet and a highfat diet, respectively. The restrictive high-fat diet(RFAT) group, restrictive high-sugar diet(RSUG) group, and high-protein diet(PRO) group were fed a highfat diet, a high-sugar diet, and a high-protein diet, respectively, in an isocaloric way. All rats were killed at 12 wk. Body weight, visceral fat index(visceral fat/body weight), liver index(liver/body weight), insulin resistance, portal lipopolysaccharide(LPS), serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT), serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST), and liver triglycerides were measured. The intestinal microbiota in the different groups of rats was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing technology.RESULTS The FFAT group had higher body weight, visceral fat index, liver index, peripheral insulin resistance, portal LPS, serum ALT, serum AST, and liver triglycerides compared with all other groups(P < 0.05). Taking the same calories, the RFAT and RSUG groups demonstrated increased body weight, visceral fat index, peripheral insulin resistance and liver triglycerides compared with the PRO group(P < 0.05). The RFAT group also showed increased portal LPS compared with the PRO group(P < 0.05). Unweighted Uni Frac principal coordinates analysis of the sequencing data revealed that the intestinal microbiota structures of the CON, FFAT, RSUG and PRO groups were roughly separated away from each other. Taxon-based analysis showed that, compared with the CON group, the FFAT group had an increased abundance of Firmicutes, Roseburia and Oscillospira bacteria, a higher ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, and a decreased abundance of Bacteroidetes, Bacteroides and Parabacteroides bacteria(P < 0.05). The RFAT group showed an increased abundance of Firmicutes and decreased abundance of Parabacteroides bacteria(P < 0.05). The RSUG group showed an increased abundance of Bacteroidetes and Sutterella bacteria, higher ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes, and a decreased abundance of Firmicutes(P < 0.05). The PRO group showed an increased abundance of Bacteroidetes, Prevotella, Oscillospira and Sutterella bacteria, and a decreased abundance of Firmicutes(P < 0.05). Compared with the FFAT group, the RFAT group had an increased abundance of Bacteroidetes, higher ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes, and decreased abundance of Firmicutes and Oscillospira bacteria(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION Compared with the high-protein diet, the NAFLDinducing effects of high-fat and high-sugar diets are independent from calories, and may be associated with changed intestinal microbiota.

Low-protein diets supplemented with casein hydrolysate favor the microbiota and enhance the mucosal humoral immunity in the colon of pigs

Background:High-protein diets can increase the colonic health risks.A moderate reduction of dietary crude-protein(CP)level can improve the colonic bacterial community and mucosal immunity of pigs.However,greatly reducing the dietary CP level,even supplemented with all amino acids(AAs),detrimentally affects the colonic health,which may be due to the lack of protein-derived peptides.Therefore,this study evaluated the effects of supplementation of casein hydrolysate(peptide source)in low-protein(LP)diets,in comparison with AAs supplementation,on the colonic microbiota,microbial metabolites and mucosal immunity in pigs,aiming to determine whether a supplementation of casein hydrolysate can improve colonic health under very LP level.Twenty-one pigs(initial BW 19.90±1.00 kg,63±1 days of age)were assigned to three groups and fed with control diet(16%CP),LP diets(13%CP)supplemented with free AAs(LPA)or casein hydrolysate(LPC)for 4 weeks.Results:Compared with control diet,LPA and LPC diet decreased the relative abundance of Streptococcus and Escherichia coli,and LPC diet further decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria.LPC diet also increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus reuteri.Both LP diets decreased concentrations of ammonia and cadaverine,and LPC diet also reduced concentrations of putrescine,phenol and indole.Moreover,LPC diet increased total short-chain fatty acid concentration.In comparison with control diet,both LP diets decreased protein expressions of Toll-like receptor-4,nuclear factor-κB,interleukin-1βand tumor necrosis factor-α,and LPC diet further decreased protein expressions of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain protein-1 and interferon-γ.LPC diet also increased protein expressions of G-protein coupled receptor-43,interleukin-4,transforming growth factor-β,immunoglobulin A and mucin-4,which are indicators for mucosal defense activity.Conclusions:The results showed that supplementing casein hydrolysate showed beneficial effects on the colonic microbiota and mucosal immunity and barrier function in comparison with supplementing free AAs in LP diets.These findings may provide new framework for future nutritional interventions for colon health in pigs.